A Fox affiliate anchor has apologized to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow for calling her an "angry young man" after being heavily criticized my LGBT organizations and thrown into the media spotlight, E! Online reports.

Last weekend, Tricia Macke, who works for Fox 19 Cincinnati, got herself into some hot water after it was discovered that she made homophobic remarks against Maddow, an open lesbian and liberal TV host on MSNBC, on her Facebook page last month.

Macke wrote that the political commentator is "such an angry young man," but she didn’t quite get the response she was probably hoping for. A number of people criticized her for the post.

She initially doubled down. She defended herself by saying, "You are right. I’m sorry, I should’ve said ’antagonistic,’" and "I knew what I was saying."

Macke finally backtracked and deleted her posts. This did not mollify the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination, which has taken screenshots of the comment and called the Fox 19 news station and demanded officials reprimand Macke and that she formally apologize.

"Referring to Maddow as a ’man’ because she is a gay woman is completely unacceptable for someone in the business of journalism," GLAAD said in a statement. Additionally, the group’s president, Herndon Graddick, said, "Macke owes an apology not only to viewers, but to young people in Ohio who are subjected to unfair bullying and harassment like this on a daily basis."

Macke was slapped with a two-day suspension and then issued a proper apology, which was posted on the news station’s Facebook page.

"I recently posted comments on my personal Facebook page regarding cable news anchor Rachel Maddow which were insensitive and inappropriate," Macke wrote. "I apologize to Ms. Maddow and any others who may have been offended by my comments, as they do not reflect my firm beliefs in individual and equal rights, and they certainly do not represent the opinions or position of my employer WXIX-TV."

Macke is still with Fox 19 and anchors the station’s 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. news slots. Opposing Views points out that she has been with the station since 1993.

Comments

Anonymous, 2012-11-19 11:32:49

Anonymous, 2012-11-19 16:07:06

Obviously the apple does not fall far from the tree. Being an anchor for Fox should have been a dead giveaway of what her briefs are.

David Seidel, 2012-11-20 15:58:15

She should not be fired. She has been made to apologize and has been punished. Case closed. If she continues this behavior, then more drastic measures should be taken, but this knee-jerk reaction of firing people who voice an unpopular opinion or who say stupid things doesn’t do anyone any good.

David Seidel, 2012-11-20 15:59:40

She can have her beliefs, but assuming that because she works for Fox Television it’s expected that she’ll say stupid things is wrong.